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Could 7, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Carla Esparza takes down Rose Namajunas throughout UFC 274 at Footprint Middle. Necessary Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports activities
Contemplating the place Esparza’s clearest path to victory lies, nobody must be shocked to see the previous champ try takedowns early and sometimes on Zhang.
Among the finest ladies’s wrestlers within the UFC, Esparza has confirmed to have a number of sides to her takedown recreation. Whether or not she’s hitting reactive stage modifications within the open or chaining off of snatch singles, the previous Menlo Faculty rep virtually can do all of it.
Even when working from the clinch, Esparza demonstrates misleading power and savvy from this area, undertaking every part from slick journeys to hip tosses. And as soon as she’s capable of get her opponents to the mat, Esparza morphs into an aggressive honey badger in the way in which through which she actively passes and strikes her option to positions just like the crucifix (touchdown probably slicing elbows alongside the way in which).
That mentioned, if Esparza fails to safe takedowns on Zhang, then she’ll must be cautious to not get caught within the clinch with the previous champ.
As we noticed in her title-winning effort in Shenzhen, China, Zhang possesses the facility to demolish sturdy opposition with onerous knees and elbows inside shut quarters.
The champion’s sanda background additionally turns out to be useful when hanging out on this area, displaying the flexibility to hit slick journeys and takedowns on the drop of a dime.
Since then, Zhang has upgraded her wrestling chops by working with skills like Henry Cejudo to the Hickman brothers (who function out of Bang Tao Muay Thai). Now, it’s not unusual for Zhang to hit competent wrestling chains in open area, virtually as if it have been second nature.
When Zhang is ready to set up any form of management off of a takedown, the Chinese language fighter is fast to make hay by each settling into place, in addition to looking for out damaging strikes like brief elbows. Zhang, not less than when she’s not being overaggressive, appears very competent within scrambles with a freakish back-take potential in addition.
Nevertheless, it must be famous that Zhang remains to be not past muscling her manner out and in of dangerous positions – which might be expensive right here. Though the wrestling enhancements of Rose Namajunas mustn’t go unnoticed, Zhang getting caught on her again for the ultimate two frames of their UFC 268 encounter wasn’t a very good search for the Chinese language fighter.
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